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Michael Avenatti

individualLast updated: January 21, 2019

Overview

Attorney Michael John Avenatti was born in Sacramento, California on February 16, 1971. He grew up in Colorado and Utah. In 1982, he moved with his family to Chesterfield, Missouri near St Louis. He began his college studies in 1989 at St Louis University. After a year, he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. In …

Attorney Michael John Avenatti was born in Sacramento, California on February 16, 1971. He grew up in Colorado and Utah. In 1982, he moved with his family to Chesterfield, Missouri near St Louis. He began his college studies in 1989 at St Louis University. After a year, he transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. In 1996, he graduated with a B.A. in political science. He then attended George Washington University Law School graduating in 2000. He is presently a high profile civil attorney who has represented many famous people.

While at GWU, Avenatti worked with noted law professor Jonathan Turley, who described Avenatti as “an adrenaline junkie” in describing his aggressiveness. During his years at the University of Pennsylvania and GWU, Avenatti worked for now Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel on issues of opposition research. Emanuel went on to become White House chief of staff under President Obama. While in law school, Avenatti worked on approximately 150 political campaigns in 42 states.

Following graduation from law school, Avenatti worked for the Los Angeles law firm of O’Melveny and Myers, where he worked with attorney Daniel Petrocelli, who represented the Goldman family in the civil suit against OJ Simpson. Avenatti later worked for the Los Angeles law firm of Greene, Broillet and Wheeler.

In 2007, Avenatti formed his own law group, Eagan Avenatti, with offices in Newport Beach and San Francisco.

In 2013, Avenatti formed Global Baristas to buy out the bankrupt Tully’s Coffee in Seattle. After that purchase, Global Baristas and Tully’s Coffee became the subjects of many lawsuits involving suspicious business dealings. More specifically:

“Since his investment firm bought bankrupt Tully’s Coffee for $9.15 million at auction five years ago, Avenatti’s company has been named in more than 50 state and federal legal complaints, including commercial lawsuits, breach of lease actions and warrants for unpaid taxes, court records show.” –Seattle Times

In 2015, Avenatti won a $76,000 lawsuit against the NFL in Dallas based on complaints of ticket-holders to the Super Bowl.

In 2017, Avenatti’s firm, Eagan Avenatti, was forced into bankruptcy as a result of a lawsuit brought by Gerald Tobin, who had been employed as an unlicensed private investigator for Avenatti, and who it turned out, was a convicted felon and ex-con. The suit was filed for $28,000 by Tobin for unpaid salary. The bankruptcy judge handling the case at that time questioned how such a small sum could force the firm into bankruptcy. The bankruptcy move had the legal result that Avenatti did not have to testify under oath in another ($18 million) arbitration involving a former partner.

In 2018 Eagan Avenatti was hit with a $10 million judgement by a Santa Ana, California judge based on a complaint of non payment by a former partner, Jason Frank.

In March 2018 Avenatti’s client, porn movie actress, Stephanie Clifford also known as Stormy Daniels, sued President Trump over a non-disclosure agreement she signed regarding her alleged affair with Trump. In April of that year, Avenatti and Clifford offered a reward of $100,000 for information leading to the identification of a “mystery man” who allegedly threatened Clifford in connection with the Trump-Clifford scandal.

In May 2018, Avenatti claimed to have evidence of payments to a bank account belonging to President Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, from various interests including a Russian oligarch. NBC News discovered that at least one of the Michael Cohen accounts identified by Avenatti was a different Michael Cohen-not the former Trump lawyer. It was Cohen, who, while serving as Trump’s attorney, reportedly arranged a monetary payment to Daniels accompanied with a non-disclosure agreement. In May, USA Today reported that the Treasury Department had opened an investigation into whether there was a violation of the Bank Secrecy Act in Avenatti’s coming into possession of another person’s bank records. Also that same month, Avenatti was told by federal judge Kimba Wood that he would have to cease “his publicity tour” against Cohen if he wanted to represent Clifford in legal actions against Cohen. Avenatti dropped the case and appeared on MSNBC the same day.

In June 2018, the aforementioned Jason Frank filed a motion in US Bankruptcy court asking that he be paid up to $10 million from Avenatti’s earnings in cases including that of Ms. Clifford.

In June 2018 Avenatti represented a whistleblower who shot secret video inside an immigration detention facility. The video was turned over to MSNBC.

In July 2018, Avenatti tweeted that he “will run” for president in 2020 if Donald Trump were to seek reelection at that time.

In September 2018, as the nomination hearing of Brett Kavanaugh was in progress, Avenatti came forward representing Julie Swetnick, who accused Kavanaugh of being one of a group of young men who allegedly gang raped her during the time they were both in high school.

On November 13, 2018, Los Angeles Police Department officers arrested Avenatti on suspicion of domestic violence. TMZ, which first reported the story, said that Avenatti had “kicked” an unidentified woman “out of the apartment,” leaving her face “swollen and bruised.” Avenatti’s bail was set at $50,000.

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